Why All Planes Take This Overcrowded Path Across The Atlantic Ocean - Cheddar Explains

On an average summer night, around 1,500 flights traverse the Atlantic from the United States to Europe. And almost all take this one route - like a highway at rush hour. These planes are separated by only 40 miles in distance and 25 miles laterally. Vertically, they fly as close as 1,000 feet to each other. But why would all these planes take one route when they have the whole sky - especially when that route is becoming more and more dangerous?

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[ExcretumTaurum]

That 787 did not break the sound barrier. There is a difference between airspeed and ground speed.

[zackaplowitz]

One correction: The Virgin 787 did NOT break the sound barrier. Its airspeed did not change. It did not move faster in relation to the air, which is what the speed of sound is based on - the sound barrier does not care how fast you are across the ground. The 787's airspeed would have only been around Mach 0.85-0.90.

[TheSheiban]

It's the shortest route and the jetstream helps to push the aircraft

[Brannington]

a plane video? this isnt Wendover productions though!

[AwesomeDwarves]

Wendover crowd: "It's quite simple, really."

[salehvxr]

As a pilot, the information about the flying distance between airplanes are just the laws of flying, it doesn't mean that the airplanes are flying that close to each other. Otherwise you would see 4 airplanes at the same time In that route. Which you have to be super lucky to see

[onebadlt]

Corrective note: The oceanic air traffic centers DO NOT PLAN THE FLIGHTS.They plan the track system (NAT OTS). Airlines plan the routes and what track they will take. Airline flight dispatchers take into account what tracks are currently available and what weather is to be expected out there for that day. Then they plan around what they can using that days issued tracks. ATC controllers jobs are to keep aircraft separated. They do not plan routes. That is the job of the airlines Flight Dispatcher.

[otmunyk]

A lot of this video, namely the “planes getting close to each other” parts are violently over exaggerated in their implied risk. It’s literally not dangerous at all.

[unknownz]

When the YouTube comment section has more accurate information from random people

[rsb__]

Me: think I’ll be productive
Cheddar: ✈️

[w.j.graham]

“That year, Japan launched around 9, 000 silk hydrogen balloons...” WHAT year?

[chrisscott]

This is what you get when producers do not have fact-checkers that are pilots.

[pythomas]

It’s incredible that that many planes are in the sky at any given time, yet, it looks like they’re all alone.

[rustix]

1:57 This was Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flying over Pennsylvania (on the route from Los Angeles (LAX) to London Heathrow). So this incident didn't happen over the Atlantic Ocean, as it could sound from the video.

[cookiedough]

I flew once from Taiwan. The plane arrived 2.5 hours early. I got my bags first off the carousel land was home two hours before the original landing time. Unbelievable day. I think it clocked at 800 mph.

[johnbeaulieu]

Not mentioned of course is the fact that in the Northern Hemisphere the Jet Stream flows West to East. So flights from Europe to North America try to choose altitudes to avoid the Jet Stream as it will lengthen flight time significantly and of course increase fuel burn. The second reason why many flights use the Northern Transatlantic Corridor is because of ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine OPerations), Most long haul flights operate under ETOPS-180 meaning that the flight cannot be more than 180 minutes from a diversionary airport should the aircraft lose one of its engines. Remember that flying on one engine will be slower than on two engines, and the Jet Stream is likely not pushing you in the right direction, and the aircraft may not be able to maintain as high an altitude on one engine. So aircraft flying the North Atlantic Corridor will need to be closer to Gander, Newfoundland, and then Reykjavik, Iceland. For the more southern route to Portugal and Spain it's Bermuda and the Azores Islands for diversions.
ETOPS-240 is possible, but only a select few Airlines can meet the rigorous maintenance and operational standards needed to receive that authority.

[mikev.]

So many exaggerations and inaccuracies in this video! In addition to what other people have said, another false statement is that turbulence might cause planes to run into each other. Clearly, not enough research was done for this video. Even extreme turbulence doesn't cause loss/gain of 1000 ft. Turbulence only poses a risk simply because of possible injury to passengers during extreme situations. Moreover, turbulence has been increasing due to increased amount of planes in the sky [prior to covid], not necessarily due only to climate change, but that is debatable.

[yellowpsychopath]

This video: "All planes..."

Southern Atlantic Ocean: am i a joke to you?

[kyledavis]

Bruh Wendover did this video like 5 years ago

[jimmcdiarmid]

I have flown across the Atlantic 8 times in the last 8 years and never had ANY turbulence.
The only turbulence on any of those flights was going over the mountains between Vegas and LA on A380 from LHR to LAX.